Types of Discrimination

The Equality Act 2010 sets out seven different types of discrimination. These are:

Direct discrimination
Direct discrimination occurs when someone is treated less favourably than another person because of a
protected characteristic.

Associative discrimination
Associative discrimination occurs when someone is directly discriminated against because they are associated with another person who possesses a protected characteristic.

Discrimination by perception
Discrimination by perception occurs when someone is directly discriminated against because others think that they possess a particular protected characteristic. They do not necessarily have to possess the characteristic, just be perceived to have the characteristic.

Indirect discrimination
Indirect discrimination occurs when there is a rule or policy that applies to everyone but disadvantages a person with a particular protected characteristic.

Harassment
Harassment occurs when there is behaviour that is deemed offensive by the recipient. Affected persons can complain of behaviour that they find offensive even if it is not directed at them. For behaviour to count as harassment in equality law, it has to be one of three